FOR THE FIRST TIMERS

FOR THE FIRST TIMERS

You did it! You signed up for your first Pilates class, you’ve laid out your fitness gear like it’s the first day of school, and you’re ready for the challenge—at least you think you are. Here’s what you can expect on your first day.

1. You’ll walk in to calm, smiling faces. You’ll let your guard down and start to think that your session is going to be either a nice hour of stretching to help loosen you up from the workouts you did earlier in the week, or a tactic to help you back away from the couch potatoness that is your present life. Either way, you’ll laugh at yourself in two hours when you think back to this moment.

2. You won’t remember sitting upright being so difficult! In fact, you probably won’t remember the last time you sat upright.

3. You’ll appreciate how long a minute actually is, because time seems to stop in those seconds when you’re holding your arms parallel to the ground.

4. You’ll be tempted to ask if you can do fifties instead of hundreds, being that it’s your first day and all.

5. You’ll think to yourself, “My run would have been over by now,” or “One episode of my series on Netflix would be have been over by now.” You’ll start to question all your life choices.

6. You’ll wonder why your instructor didn’t have you do push-ups at the beginning, before your arms and shoulders were screaming for mercy. But you go with it, because she’s the professional.

7. You’ll try to keep your grunting and tears on the inside, since this doesn’t seem to be that type of party. How are these people breathing so…seamlessly?!

8. You’ll lie on the floor after it’s done, hoping no one will notice. “That was totally not what I expected,” you’ll admit to yourself. Yes, it hurt. But did you like it? You kinda did! You’ll peel yourself up off your mat, wipe the egg off your face, and sign up for a package of classes. You’ve found your new thing.